Getting Advice in Grad School

People Are Going to Give You A LOT of Advice

If you are in your first year or two of graduate school you will be inundated with advice. Some of it good, some of it irrelevant, some of it genuinely terrible. I had a tough time separating the useful advice from the counter productive advice. Here are some strategies I used:

1. Get the Lay of the Land
2. Know YOUR Goals
3. Give Yourself Time

Getting the Lay of the Land

Overall, I was wonderfully supported by faculty in my program. I did have some odd exchanges here and there but mostly everyone had my best interest at heart. I hope this is your experience too but I wanted to give some advice on how to suss out bad advice (or unhelpful to you advice). Most of the unhelpful advice I received was not given out of malice. Successful faculty will often share how they specifically became successful. Their model may not work for you for a number of reasons. 

If your program is like mine, you have an advisor right out the gate. Some programs vary - you may have to find an advisor in addition to all the other first year hurdles. You may be in a program that does not do one-on-one advising. I explain graduate school to people outside academics as similar to apprenticeships. Each journey is very individualized. Programs, timelines, advisors, departments - they all vary widely. 

The advice you get may not apply to your program or situation AT ALL. There are very few pieces of advice that will apply to all graduate students. I think of it like traffic patterns. There are some laws that apply everywhere but graduate students are like pedestrians in this metaphor. Definitely learn the traffic laws, but it's also important to learn the local habits - which stop signs are usually rolled? what crossing are dangerous? 

You may expect the drivers to follow the rules and you may have recourse if they fail to do so but typically, pedestrians are at the higher risk for injury and damage. Being cautious and aware of your environment can add a layer of protection. Know what your rights are as a student and/or worker but be aware of the power dynamics in your program and the university at large.

Your department may have existing relationships that are important to know. Maybe the faculty has spousal hires - you wouldn't want to make a comment or criticism of a professor only to find you were talking to their partner. Understanding faculty relationships can help you make sense of competing advice as well. This does not happen often in my experience, but sometimes the advice you get is not about you at all. It has to do with a pre-existing disagreement between faculty.

Know Your Goals

Much of the advice I received was how to get a job at an R1 (Research 1) University. While that advice might have been spot on, it was not achievable for many students and was not helpful for students with other career goals. It is likely you will be evaluated on how well you are following this advice - whether it alines with your goals or not.

I recommend journaling about your career or professional goals. Think about what you need to focus on to achieve your specific goals. Compare your goals to the career advice you are getting. Find a faculty member or professional in your field (ideally someone with the job you aspire to) who supports your goals. I remember friends who felt terrible that they wouldn't be competitive for R1 jobs only to remember that was not what they wanted for themselves. It can be easy to get caught up in what the department or your committee wants from you. Regularly check in with yourself to make sure you are clear on the kind of career you want.

Give Yourself Time

I did not feel I had good handle on graduate school until I was ABD (all but dissertation). My masters in particular was a gauntlet. Give yourself time to adjust to the expectations and rhythm of academia. There is an insane amount of pressure to arrive on day one with a publication in progress and a clear research agenda. 

If you are publishing and have your dissertation mapped out when you arrive on campus I bow to your preparation skills. You are not typical. In my experience, the dissertation and even masters thesis will change and develop. I spent my first year preparing one thesis proposal only to have to redesign completely in year two. I did not publish during my masters despite working on several research projects. I was convinced I was woefully behind. Talking with other graduate students and faculty during my PhD, I realized I was incredibly normal. Everyone's career looks different. It's okay to get your footing and learn the paper and publication process before you dive in.

Part of graduate school is learning how to navigate academia. It's okay if you take time to do that. You don't need to revolutionize your field the first semester of your masters. Figuring out what your area will be and how to begin research projects while juggling advanced coursework takes time and effort. Have patience and take time to find mentors among your faculty, wider field, and peers.